Work guard for sewing machines



June.23, 1925. 1,543,276"

" I 'c. H. cooK WORK GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES Filedflov. 8, 1919 Patented June 23, 1925.

A UNITED" STATES I v 1,543,276 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLRs COOK, or GARDINER, MAINE, AssIeNo TO UnirRnsHoE MACHINERY CORPORATION, or PATRRsoN, NEW JRRsRY, A CORPORATION or NEW JRRsRY.

WORK GUARD roR Application filed November Be it known that I, CHARLRs H. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gardiner, in the countyv of Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Work Guards for Sewing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to work guards for sewing machines and more particularly to such devices for shoe sole sewing machines to protect the work from injurious contact with operating parts of the machine during the sewing operation.

-Guards for shoe sole sewing machines commonly comprise an apron of sheet metal projecting upwardly from a holder and located between the looper and the work with its upper end adjacent the front side of the work support. In order that access may be had to the looper and other thread handling devices, the guard of the type to which thepresent invention relates is so mounted as to becapable of being moved into and out of operative position. i I One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a guard of the type described, the movement of which into and out of operative position is effected in a novel and improved manner and which, when in operative position, is firmly and securely held in place.

One ofthe features of the present invention contemplates the provision in a shoe sewing machine having stitch forming de vicesincluding a looper, of a guard located between the looper' and the work capable of being swung sidewise from the front of the looper, and of means for locking the guard in position. In its preferred embodiment,- the' guard is mounted upon a vertical pivot or a pivot transverse ofthe work supporting face of the work support, which pivot is-locatedpreferably a substantial distance to-one side of the plane of the needle in order to give the maximum amount of accessibility to the thread handling devices when the guard is swung into'inoperative position. The means for locking the guard inoperative position comprises preferably cooperating interlocking members on the guard and a stationary part of the machine SEWING MACHINES.

s, 1919. Serial No. 336,654.

which are adapted to engage when the guard is moved into operative position. Other features of the present invention, relating more especially .to the locking means for. the guard, the advantages of which will'be obvious to those'skilled in the art, will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Except as defined in the claims, the features'of the present invention are not limited to aguard which is pivotally mounted for movement into and out of operative position.

The several features of the present invention will be clearly understood from the following description and accon'ipanying drawings, in which: i

Figure 1 is a front elevation of portions of a lock stitch shoe sewing machine adjacent the sewing .point showing the relation thereto of-a guard embodying the several features of the invention in'their pre ferred form; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown inFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to a portion of Fig. .1 with the'guard in inoperative position; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of. Fig.1; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken on-the line 55 of Fig. 1.

The present invention is illustrated in the drawings as embodied in a common type of outsole shoe sewing machine which is provided with the usual curved hook needle 2, looper 4, work support '6, presser foot 8, edge gauge 10, edge gauge support 11 which projects upwardly from a slide 12, take-up 14 and auxiliary take-up 16.

The improved guard as illustrated comprises an upstanding apron 18 of sheet metal, the lower end of which is secured to a holder 20 mountedupon the edge guage slide 12. The apron 18 is located as usual infront of the looper with its upper end adjacent the front side of the work support 6, and is of such construction as to prevent effectively the work from contacting with the thread handling devices during the sewing operation, without interfering withthe feeding of the work. 'The apron holder comprises a metal plate and =1slocated'1n front of the take-ups 14 and 16.

In order to give the maximum amount of accessibility when desired to the thread handling devices, the mounting for the guardupon the edge gauge sllde 12 is such that the guard may be swung about a vertical axis by the operator to a position well to one side of the thread handling devices, indicated in Fig. 3. To this end, the mounting for the guard comprises a vertical pin 24 secured to the edgegauge slide a substantial distance to one side of the thread handling devices, which pin forms a pivot bearing for a tubular extension 26 of the apron holder 20.

When the guard is in operative position it is firmly and securely held in place by the engagement of interlocking members on the guard and the edge gauge supportll. The interlocking members comprise a screw 28 secured to the edge gauge support 11, the head of which screw when the guard is in operative position extends through a slot 30 in the apron holder 20 and acts to hold the guard in place against the forward face of the edge gauge support 11 by the engagement of. the head of the screw with the front side of the apron holder adjacent the upper end of the slot 30. In order to disengage the screw and apron Holder 20 to permit the guard to be swung into inoperative position, the guard is adapted to be raised to bring the upper end of the slot 30 above the head of the screw. To this end, the guard is mounted for movement longitudinally of the pivot pin 24: and means is provided for conveniently effecting such movement of the guard. This means comprises a sleeve 32 pivotally mounted upon the pin 2% between the lower end of the tubular extension 26 of the holder 20 and the top of the edge gauge slide 12. The upper end of the sleeve 32 is provided with a cam surface 34 which acts on a portion of the lower edge of the holder 20 adjacent the tubular extension 26, the holder being urged downwardly against the cam surface by a spring coiled about the pivot pin 24 and interposed between the upper end of the tubular extension 26 and a washer 36 secured to the upper end of the pin. The cam sleeve 32 is adapted to be rotated on the pivot pin bymeans of a handle or thumb piece 38 projecting laterally therefrom. With this construction, itwill be seen that when the 3 guard is locked in operative position, that upon rotating the cam sleeve 32 by moving the thumb piece 38 to the right, the guard will first ride upwardly on the cam surface until di engaged from the locking screw 28 and then the cam surface will further act to swing the guardrsidewise from the frontof the looper, this movement of the guard being limited by the engagement of the thumb piece 38 with the outer edge of the edge gauge support 11, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. During this retracting movement, the guard after becoming disengaged from the locking screw 28 will be caused to ride down on the cam surface to its lowermost position by the action of the spring 35, and at the completion of this movement will be frictionallv held in place adjacent the thumb piece 38 by the pressure of the spring.

To return the guard to operative position, the operator swings the guard toward the locking screw 28 and. during the latter part of this movement, by moving the thumb piece 38 rearwardly causes the cam sleeve 32 to raise the guard so that the upper end of the slot 30 will clear the head of the locking screw, and then by moving the thumb piece forwardly allows the spring 35 to act to bring the guard down into locking engagement with the screw. 1

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated, and a device embodying the several features of the invention in their. preferred form having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

1. A shoe sewingmachine having, in combination, awork support and .a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming de,-

vices including a curved hook needle and a looper located on opposite sides of the work support, a guard located between the looper and the work mounted to swing about a vertical axis into and out of operative position, and means for locking the guard in operative position.

2. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle andv a looper located on opposite sides of the work support, and a guard located between the looper and the work and mounted to swing sidewise about a vertical .aXis from the front of the looper.

3. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming devicesrincluding a curved hook needle and a looper located on opposite sides of the work support, apivotally mounted guard located between the loo-per and the work capable of being moved into operative position by combined movements about itspivot and longitudinally of the axis of its pivot, a frame, and interlocking members on the frame and guard adapted'to engage when the guard is moved into operative position.

4. A shoe sewingmachine having, in com bination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to, receive the projecting'edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle and a looper located on opposite sides of the.

prising interlocking members onthe frame and guard, a spring acting on the guard to maintain the interlocking members in engagement, and a manually operable device for moving the guard against the action of said spring to disengage the interlocking members.

5. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle and a looper located on opposite sides of the work support, a guard located between the looper and the work movable longitudinally and into and out of operative position, a spring acting to move the guard longitudinally in one direction, a frame, interlocking members on the frame and guard cooperating with said spring to lock the guard in operative position, and means for moving the guard longitudinally against the action of said spring to disengage the interlocking members.

6. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a looper, a guard located between the looper and the Work movable longitudinally and into and out of operative position, a spring acting to move the guard longitudinally in one direction, a frame, interlocking members on the frame and guard cooperating with said spring to lock the guard in operative position, and means comprising a pivoted member having a cam surface acting on one end of the guard for moving the guard longitudinally against the action of said spring to disengage the interlocking members.

7 A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a looper, a pivot pin, a guard located between the looper and the work comprising a plate pivotally mounted on said pin and capable of being moved longitudinally of said pin, a spring acting to move the plate in one direction longitudinally of the pin, a frame, interlocking members on the plate and frame held in engagement by the action of said spring, and means comprising a manually operable member pivotally mounted on said pin for moving the plate longitudinally against the action of said spring to disengage said interlocking members.

8. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitchforming devices including a curved hook needle and a looper located on'opposite sides of the work support, a guard located between the looper and the work comprising a pivotally mounted plate capable of being swung into and out of operative position, a frame, means for locking the plate in operative position comprising members on the frame for engaging opposite sides of said plate when the plate is moved into operative po sition, and means for effecting movement of the plate into operative position.

9. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, stitch forming devices including a looper, a vertical pivot pin, a guard located between the looper and the work comprising a plate pivotally mounted on the pin and capable of movement longitudinally of the pin, said plate having a slot therein, a frame engaging the rear side of the plate, a lug projecting from said frame extending through the slot in the plate and provided with a shoulder engaging the front side of the plate adjacent the upper end of said vslot, a spring for urging the plate downwardly on said pin, andmeans COHLPIISIIIg a memberpivoted on said pin for raising the plate against the action of said spring to disengage the lug and plate.

10. A shoe sewing machine having, in combination, a work support and a presser foot arranged to receive the projecting edge of a shoe sole between them, stitch forming devices including a curved hook needle and a looper located on opposite sides of the work support, a guard located between the looper and the work capable of being swung about a vertical axis into and out of operative position, a frame, and means comprising interlocking members on the frame and guard for locking the guard in operative position.

11. A shoe sewing machine 'having, in combination, a curved hook needle, a work support located below the needle when the needle is in retracted position, a looper located below the work support, a work guard located between the loo-per and the work capable of being swung sidewise from the front of the looper, means for locking the work guard in operative position, and means engaging the lower end portion of the guard for disengaging said locking means.

CHARLES H. COOK. 

